As US pulls back in Iraq, lost urban footholds

For Iraqis, the removal of small outposts scattered throughout most major Iraqi cities will be perhaps the most noticeable change as the US moves deeper into the sidelines. The outposts were a cornerstone of Gen. David Petraeus's plan to stabilize Iraq by moving troops into the neighborhoods they policed. From these bases, troops could quickly respond to situations and have greater interaction with locals.

"The surge policy has played a very important role and now the US is feeling more confident that they can cede control to Iraqi forces," says Sajjan Gohel, director for international security at the Asia-Pacific Foundation, an independent intelligence and security think thank in London.

However, as fighting has died down in most parts of Iraq – US causalities are roughly a fifth of what they were this time last year – and surge brigades have left, in many regards the outposts became a burden for commanders. Instead of using troops to patrol, their combat resources must be used to stand guard and secure the small bases.

"It's different than when [General] Petreaus was here," says US Army Col. Burt Thompson, commander of the First Stryker Brigade of the 25th Infantry Division in Diyala. "The COP is what's present, not the people. I want to use people as presence."

Bolstering Iraq's nearly 600,000 troops

As troops move out of the outposts and onto central bases, they'll have a longer commute to cities and towns, but there will be more soldiers available to work with their Iraqi counterparts – the central focus for US troops in Iraq now.

Iraqi forces will take control of some outposts, while others will be converted back to their original civilian purpose.

The reputation of Iraqi security forces has drastically improved over the course of the war, but they have yet to win the complete trust of many locals. Even Iraqis confident in their military, now nearly 600,000 men strong, often prefer to come to the US with problems because of the perception that Americans have more resources.

"The biggest thing you're going to gain [by moving out of COPs] is that the people are going to be able to rely on the Iraqi security forces more and they'll have a better chance of winning the trust of the people," says Staff Sgt. James Clark, who just finished duty at a COP in Baquba.

Concerns about the return of militants

In the north, however, there has been much speculation as to whether the withdrawal of US troops from cities like Mosul, the last major militant stronghold in Iraq, will provide an opportunity for insurgents to make a comeback.

Such concerns have made the future uncertain for outposts like the Diyala Media Center (DMC), about 10 miles southeast of Baquba. Located in one of the country's most troublesome provinces, the DMC is built around a small TV and radio studio, and broadcast antennas. It is also in a rural area of the province, which means it will not be required to close under the terms of the SOFA agreement.

At least a 40-minute drive from the nearest US base, "It allows us to project a small force outside the city so it's faster for a reaction, it's another place for people to come give us information," says US Army Capt. James LaPointe.

While the immediate future of small bases like the DMC remain uncertain, with areas like Diyala and Mosul still unpredictable Iraqi security forces are likely to be tested in the coming months.

"The litmus test is going to be when the US continues its phased reduction how the Iraqi government deals with that," says Mr. Gohel.

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